1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clamps and more particularly to clamps for releasably holding the edge portions of articles of sheet-like form, such as plans and drawings, for convenient storage and ready access.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Clamps for storing engineering or architectural plans and drawings and other sheet-like particles such as samples of fabric or carpet, typically comprise two elongate opposed jaws pivotally mounted to grip and release the edge portions of the sheet material by operation of screw devices comprising bolts and wing nuts. In use, the clamp extends horizontally and is removably mounted on associated support structure, for example horizontally extending suspension bars, so that the sheet material held by the clamp hangs downwardly from the clamp, the clamp being removable from the support structure to provide access to the stored material when required. The clamp may include a handle to facilitate placement and removal of the clamp relative to the support structure.
The use of screw devices comprising screws and wing nuts to open and close the jaws of the clamp is not particularly convenient as several turns of each wing nut may be required to achieve the requisite opening or closing movement of the jaws. In addition, certain previously proposed forms of clamp incorporating a handle do not always provide a convenient means of mounting the handle or of readily adjusting the position of the handle to suit different forms of support system.